


Crystalline

by Havoc_Meteor



Category: Corruption of Champions, Worm - Wildbow
Genre: Mind/Mood Altering Substances, Monologue, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 07:56:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8154868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Havoc_Meteor/pseuds/Havoc_Meteor
Summary: A different seed leads to a different person growing. Alt-Power!Taylor One-Shot?





	

“It was easy at first, you know? I never expected it to go as well as it did.” Taylor sighed as she looked around the room, dark, lit only by a few of her homemade candles. Tall, pale tapers dipped in paraffin, some older votives made from beeswax sheets purchased at a small arts and crafts store. She relaxed some, remembering her feeling when she was making those first few candles, amused seeing them being burned, despite the original intent. 

“The wax is a poor medium. It is also cheap, reusable, and nobody has reason to think twice, no matter how much of the stuff a young white girl buys.” Her eyes closed now, laying back on the bed. “Metal was a better medium, but hard to work quietly. So much heat, and so many mistakes to try again. No, wax was enough to begin and understand. It took quite a lot of practice to learn how to charge whatever I grew. Too much energy and it would fail… with rather painful feedback. My own energies were in upheaval then which made the whole problem much harder. Still, I had to learn patience to make progress. I think my power helped at first. Once I had the first success I knew it immediately. I could feel it, literally feel it radiating calmness, patience. Serenity.” Her namesake. It was still there, on the shelf by itself. A small pebble of blue wax, on a small leather thong. It no longer held the energy, but she didn’t have the heart to melt it back down. It was special. Her proof, her turning point.  

“I knew then, it wasn’t just these ideas, visions. It was real, a power of my very own, so very unlike any you would see. It wasn’t until later I would find out that it would be classified as a Tinker by the PRT. I used that bead, and made more, and more. It was easier each time, as the beads reinforced each other, and helped to stabilize my own emotions. It was nearly dawn when I finished, but it was there, a rosary of wax. Worry beads really, but it was enough, it was mine and real and felt so good. There weren’t any more nightmares after that.” Taylor stretched, arms over her head, feeling the current bracelet of beads, on the same cord as the first generation, slide across her forearm. 

“It started with a seed you know, it always does. Everything does. There’s always a blemish, a scratch, a grain, or some kind of imperfection where it begins. I can feel them now. Not everyone can see them, but they are there, I know because they must be, we can see their effects. Crystals and problems alike grow out of these imperfections. A place to precipitate, a scapegoat for problems, unconscious blame…” She frowned. “Not all crystals are beautiful. It depends on what they are made of. The core, the seed, isn’t always visible from the outside and thus, doesn’t always matter.” A soft murmur from her side, and she smiles again. “No, I’m not angry. Not anymore. Anyway, once the seed is in place, and the crystal begins to grow, people will see it, and watch it form. Nobody interferes, as it’s not their business. A non-hostile environment. For the crystal that is. Without some outside force to inhibit it, the crystal will grow. Slowly at first but faster as the crystal itself grows larger until it has no more room. Then it is done.” Her fingers touched a gem, set into a small bronze ring. The texture of the cut facets sharp under her fingers. “Mine are different. I find the seed I want, and refine it. The crystal grows, and it takes my energy into it. The crystals in wax are tiny, but there are enough of them. When they are formed properly, they begin to radiate the energy back out. You can feel it. Anyone can feel it. Even the other crystals. Once I had the worry beads, I was able to center myself enough to project different energies. Different emotions. They are all still mine though, refined, filtered, refined again, over and over, until they are strong.” The small red gem in her ring answered her touch, confidence. A certainty that you are right, and just a bit of push to keep moving. It was her confidence. “Some emotions were harder to refine. But the primal ones, the animal ones, they were strong. The energies were varied though, happy, sad, angry, disgust, fear, trust. Yours was a simple group. Some charms on a silver chain, each with a slightly different energy. Greed. Calmness. Curiosity. That was all it took. You reached out and took it, so shiny. The greed hooked you, when it touched your skin. It was yours now. Then the calmness, a simple thing by itself, a gossamer veil over your mind. Nothing was wrong with the bracelet, it was yours now. And lastly, some curiosity. To keep you coming back to the trap.” Taylor rose up from the bed, and stepped over to her collection. Dozens of baubles, shiny stones and crystals. Most of them cheap trinkets, a handful of tiny works of art, and among them a few she could feel her energy inside. 

“I made more like these, slowly stronger ones. New charms on new, cheap bracelets. Sacrifices. I knew where they were, I could still feel them after all. You took them and kept them. Hidden, worn under your sock as it turned out, as you collected them. Pluck them bare of charms and add to your collection. So many different charms, a variety of shapes, colors, stone, gems and metals. All of them filled with carefully selected and refined energy. You kept collecting them, how did I have so many?” She had moved to her desk, examining her collection of charged crystals, inspecting them for any imperfections or losses.

“You kept so many of them, and yet they kept appearing. Every day like clockwork, until it overflowed the bracelets on both your ankles after weeks. You couldn’t hide them under your socks anymore, they began to rattle, but they were yours and you wouldn’t go without them. Couldn’t. Then the next day, you wore them openly on your wrist. Showed them off to your friends, to Her... but she didn’t recognize them. I did, and you knew I would. There was a different one for you that day, an olive branch and an invitation. And here you are now... “ Taylor smiled and returned to the bed, another murmur greeting her as she shifted the mattress. 

“A simple gift, not just a charm, an amulet. You didn’t deserve it, my real gift, but as soon as you touched that necklace, it was yours. The energy began to affect you, you became tired but you would not release your new gift. Could not. So here we are, you wearing your new necklace, lying in my bed… Drooling in my bed. I have all sorts of new jewelry for you to try on. I know you can’t hear me right now, but you will hear me when I ask my questions. It’s funny, I still don’t know how you stole the first bracelet, or any of the later ones.. But I will find out. I will find out why you did that, and so many other petty crimes and bullying. You will be happy to tell me, you will trust me. The best part though, is that you will never stop, never want to stop.” Taylor turned and touched the sleeping girl’s cheek, gently. “You never smiled like this at school, peaceful and content. Did you find joy in anything except bullying? Hurting people? It doesn’t matter anymore. You won’t find joy in attacking people any longer. Once the energy of the crystals resonate with you, it will stay with you, until I change you again. People are crystals too, not really, but close enough. The energy fades as their own energies push back, but my energy is stronger.” She reached down and took the necklace from the sleeping girl’s fist. She grimaced fitfully but not was not yet awake. 

“Here we are though. A proper necklace for you. It isn’t very subtle and you can’t slide it down beneath your shirt, but it will serve it’s purpose.” Taylor reached down and slid the choker underneath her neck, two steel braids with many colorful squares of metal between them, all pressed together until it looked as if no more could be fit. At the end of the choker was another square, with a keyhole on the front. Adapted from a handcuff bracelet, it held the teeth from the tail of the choker, and was quite secure. Taylor smiled, pleased with the fitting. 

“All done. You should be able to feel the energy now. If you were awake I suppose… That’s enough of this for now.” Taylor pulled the bronze ring off her finger, setting it on the nightstand and taking up a dull copper ring, with a row of square cut blue stones. Cold anger poured forth from the ring. There was no passion in it, as she wanted to feel no passion from this… interrogation. She had questions, and she wanted answers. She wasn’t doing this to bully, or for the power… She kept telling herself as much, and the gems were there to reinforce that. Her own feelings echoed back to her. 

“Now Sophia.. Wake up, it’s time to hear your confession, and decide your punishments.”


End file.
